Huge flag boosts patriotic spirit in Port Clinton

J.R. Majewski said he wanted to do something patriotic to honor veterans

It took J.R. Majewski about 12 hours to finish this giant American flag painted in his front yard.(Photo: Bruce Chambers/The Drone Store)

BAY TOWNSHIP - For J.R. Majewski, turning his yard into an enormous American flag doubled as both a patriotic gesture and a way to support his fellow military veterans.

Majewski said a lot of veterans live around his neighborhood, including a friend of his that volunteers with an organization that helps wounded soldiers.

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In addition to painting a giant flag on his lawn, J.R. Majewski of Port Clinton is planning a big fireworks display on Saturday.(Photo: Jon Stinchcomb/News Herald)

“We were going back and forth on something that we could do, something patriotic, essentially,” Majewski said regarding how the idea came about to paint a giant flag in his front yard along the 3000 block of West Elmore Road in Bay Township, just west of Port Clinton near the Portage River.

Majewski said he and his friend made a commitment that if certain fundraising goals were met for a separate charitable effort, they would paint the American flag in his front yard.

“They met their goals and it was a big ordeal because it’s a big endeavor,” Majewski said.

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J.R. Majewski said he wanted to honor veterans by painting this giant American flag in his front yard.(Photo: Jon Stinchcomb/News Herald)

The other project is a “Wheelin’ Sportsmen” event, which is in part organized by respective local chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation, allowing all people with disabilities an opportunity to hunt and enjoy the outdoors for a weekend.

The event Majewski and other locals are helping are being hosted in McConnelsville, Ohio, on the third weekend in October. For more information regarding the “Wheelin’ Sportsmen” event, call 419-295-2480.

Majewski is also putting on his own fireworks show Saturday, July 6, which he said is probably going to be the biggest around.

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Majewski is also putting on his own fireworks show Saturday, July 6, which he said is probably going to be the biggest around.(Photo: Jon Stinchcomb/News Herald)

It took Majewski about 12 hours to finish the flag using a biodegradable, chalk-based paint that will not harm the environment. Due to the cost of the paint as well as the very high temperatures this week, Majewski said he decided to cut back somewhat and paint Betsy Ross' version with 13 stars rather than the current 50-star flag.

Majewski said he was not worried about the potential controversy over the flag, saying he simply painted that one because painting 50 perfect stars would have been much more time consuming and expensive.

“I’m going to do what feels right to me,” he said. “If you’re a veteran, the flag’s the flag, and this is part of our history.”

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It took Majewski about 12-hours to finish the flag using a biodegradable chalk-based paint that will not harm the environment. Due to the cost of the paint as well as the very high temperatures, Majewski said he decided to paint the Betsy Ross flag with 13 stars.(Photo: Jon Stinchcomb/News Herald)